This is a project to explore the properties of Watkins 788, a landrace wheat believed to be resistant to slugs, never before been grown in the UK. The project aims to test in field to confirm properties indicated in lab-based feeding trials. 10 Slug Sleuths – farmer members of BOFIN – have established trial plots of Watkins 788 alongside their farm standard variety and monitor slug activity following a protocol drawn up by prof Keith Walters (HAU). Four of the farmers have also been testing an unnamed KWS Santiago x Graham line bred by John Blackman.
The Slug Circle is the BOFIN Knowledge Cluster around this project of those with special interest, including scientists and members of the public who have opted in, share experiences and knowledge and help shape the project. It currently has 101 members. If this sounds like something you would like to get involved in, join the Slug Circle by clicking here.
Year 1 Results
Wheats bred by independent UK plant breeder John Blackman suffered sorely from slugs last autumn. But curiously there was one line the slimy pests barely touched. The site at Great Abington, near Cambridge, on alluvial, heavy boulder clay, is where John multiplies up promising lines and selects those to go forward for National List trials.
“I had about 30 pre-NL1 multiplications, but many of these were on a part of the site that suffered heavy rainfall soon after drilling in early November,” he recalls. Slugs moved in and hollowed out much of the seed before it had even germinated. “We never expected the slugs, but they were worse than we’ve ever had them. “The pellet application we applied was too little, too late. Of the 30 lines, only 10 can be salvaged.”
One of these, located right in the centre of the worst affected area, is a KWS Santiago/Graham cross that appears relatively unscathed, despite all of the other candidates in the surrounding plots being almost completely obliterated. “Every plant you get from an F1 cross is different,” explains John. “This one appears to have something in its genetics the slugs don’t like.” John kindly offered all of the remaining wheat seed from this particular cross to be included within the BOFIN trial. “This level of losses in an NL1 prospect is a disaster. Let’s hope something positive comes of it,” he says.
If you are interested in reading more about Year 1 of this project, click here.
Read more on the BOFIN website here
